Flag Burning. Again? Stop it, Hillary!

Jesus Christ, I expect this kind of crap from the Repugnicans. After all, they've caused all the problems we are facing, so anything they can do to take the Moron-American voter's focus off the fucking mess they've created will help them. But a Democrat? Moreover, one of the front-running-but-as-yet-unannounced candidates for the 2008 presidential nomination?

Hillary Clinton, of all people, is sponsoring a bill to outlaw flag burning. Yes, flag burning. As I've stated before in this space, this is a solution in search of a problem. With all the other real and pressing issues facing us, why in the fuck would we even be thinking about something like this?

Is it because Hillary wants the attention off her vote for the Iraq War -- and her refusal to admit that it was a mistake -- or is it because she has the presidential ambition bug so bad that she's moving to the right in the hopes that she can siphon off votes from the middle, running as a Republican Lite?

Either way, it's reprehensible and unconscionable. I'm not a single-issue voter, but there are certain core values that I hold near and dear: I am against the death penalty, and for a woman's right to choose; I am against unjustifiable wars of nationalistic aggression and for the United Nations; I am also for religious freedom (including freedom from religion), full veterans benefits, civil rights for all persons, and free speech -- which includes the freedom to express yourself by burning a flag.

This is why I belong to such organizations as the ACLU (proud to be a card-carrying member), Veterans for Peace, Americans United for Separation of Church and State and Veterans Defending the Bill of Rights.

If a candidate takes positions -- or sponsors bills -- that are in opposition to these core values, then s/he will in all likelihood not get my vote. It's that simple.

Hillary, you won't be reading this, but someone may read it and pass it on to you: If you want to have any chance at taking the White House back for the Democrats in 2008, give up on this flag-burning bullshit.

Democrats won't be a power party again until we go back to our roots, back to our base. Stop this blatant move to the right, this abortive attempt to carve a new constituency out of the middle. It might have worked some for your husband, but it was due to the Big Dog's immense personal charm and charisma that he won those votes, and not because of his slide to the right. Note also that he didn't have particularly long coattails, and the rightwing Contract on America happened on -- and because of -- his watch.

No one likes "lite" beer, and no one likes "lite" Republicans. If I'm going to vote for someone who acts and talks like a Republican, it won't be a nominal Democrat. Forget about it. Hillary, you need to do what the Repugs have always been good at: Play to your base.

Most of us are still liberal and proud of it, but we may not be willing to vote for the lesser of two evils many more times. I am coming close to going back to "throwing my vote away" on marginal third party candidates again rather than just donate it to someone who does not share with me a dedication to most of these core values.